A Single White Chrysanthemum
by ACosmicFrappe
Summary: There is a flower growing in Mai's womb, and this new case might just destroy it. 'Lin dug his fingers into his arms, knuckles going white. "Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?"'
1. Chapter 1

The rusted nail sticking up from the ground was so long it went straight through Mai's foot when she stepped on it. At first the pain didn't register and she stared blankly at the blood beginning to seep through her white sock.

She could only watch, horrified, as an unknown force grabbed the inch of nail sticking from the top of her foot and bent it.

Her only thought was for the camera she had been setting up. _I hope I didn't damage it, even if it is insured._

It was Lin racing into the room that snapped her out of it. She screamed, clawing at her chest with her hands as the pain finally began to consume her.

" _Don't move!"_ Lin snapped, a bead of sweat slipping down his forehead as he took the knife in his hand and carefully- _carefully_ -cut away the carpet. He pulled her foot up, blood dripping slowly from the nail still stuck in it.

Mai was breathing quickly, panic keeping the tears at bay. Cursing in Chinese under his breath, the tall man picked her up bridal style in his arms. There was blood _everywhere_.

They went outside, the sound of her moaning alerting the others to the fact that something was wrong. Even Naru turned around, his eyes still narrowed with irritation.

Even in her foggy state, Mai could tell he must have been arguing with someone. There was a man standing beside him, though she couldn't see his face. Her vision was getting…blurry…

Lin was talking to Naru about a hospital, and the stranger walked up to her, a cool hand pressing to her cheek-

"Mai-chan?"

"Simon…" She groaned, turning away from his touch. She buried her face in Lin's chest, her body sagging against him.

* * *

It was Lin who drove her to the emergency clinic, per Naru's insistence. They were now sitting in the waiting room, Mai's foot propped up on Lin's knees per _his_ insistence.

He was letting her watch videos on his Smartphone (a gift from Naru's parents) to pass the time until a doctor was ready.

His recommended page on YouTube was filled with practical things (cooking tutorials, how to speak various languages, how to make various voodoo dolls…) but one video stood out to her.

"You were watching, 'How to deal with people who annoy you', Lin-san?" Mai giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth when a snort escaped her lips. _How embarrassing._

His cheeks reddened a little. "I...What was it you wanted to watch?"

They ended up watching a video of a baby giggling at a butterfly until the nurse came up to take them back.

"Would you like a wheelchair?"

Lin shook his head and picked his injured co-worker up yet again. It was actually comforting to be held when she was in so much pain, so Mai was thankful that he hadn't said yes.

* * *

Since the nail was in so deep ("I don't know what you guys were doing, but it really is fascinating that it went through so cleanly!") and since it was bent ("Did you guys do this on purpose?") Mai had to go under anesthesia so they could do a small operation.

She met dream Naru, but unlike usual he wasn't smiling. When she woke up, she found herself lying down in a bed.

Lin was sitting in a chair by the window. When he heard her sit up, her glanced over at her briefly before looking back out at the sky. "You had an allergic reaction to one of the medications they used while treating you at the clinic, so they had to send us to a hospital."

There wasn't anything unkind about his words, but both his face and voice were twisted with barely concealed rage.

Blinking slowly, Mai asked in a small, confused voice, "what's wrong, Lin-san?"

He sighed deeply and bowed his head, those long bangs falling to cover both of his eyes. "Why didn't you _tell_ us?"

"Tell you what?"

He dug his fingers into his arms, knuckles going white. "Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?"

* * *

 **A/N: I do love when people theorize about my fics, so feel free to do so! You'll have to wait to see if you're right, though...**


	2. Chapter 2

As Lin soon found out, Mai herself had not been aware of the fact that she would soon be enjoying the sound of tiny feet pitter-pattering.

Still a little in shock, the teenager currently had her face buried in her hands and her knees drawn up against her chest.

For once Lin did not feel any irritation at seeing her shoes up on the van's leather seats, even though the bottoms of her sneakers were caked with the thick county dirt.

He could feel only pity and...was that prickling sensation in his chest sorrow?

Mai was feeling terribly embarrassed. Truthfully, there had been a part of her that suspected she was pregnant. Her period was late, and she had been feeling sickly in the morning for the past couple of weeks. But she had just assumed stress was the culprit.

"I won't tell the others," Lin soothed, his gaze locked on the road ahead as he drove. "It's still your news to announce."

Mai sniffled, much to his horror. She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I'm such an idiot. You must think I'm so stupid for letting this happen."

"My opinon of you hasn't changed, Taniyama-san." Lin glanced over at her when she shook her head in disbelief. "I'm not going to scold you."

Mai swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I know you won't."

Both their chests were tight.

The girl leaned against her window and pressed her cheek to the glass. They drove in silence for a while before Mai whispered, "his name is Simon."

Lin's chest tightened for a whole new reason, and the man scowled as he came to a realization: that feeling in his chest wasn't sorrow; it was anger.

They arrived at the women's shelter too soon. Mai opened her door, squinting against the fine mist drifting through the crisp air. Lin walked around to her side, handing her a pair of crutches-his old crutches, to be exact. He had kept them even after recovering from his injury way back when.

Mai still felt bad about that.

"Thanks, Lin-san," She smiled, taking them as she stood.

He nodded, seeming a tad tense. Mai couldn't really blame him for that.

Naru was standing outside, his arms crossed. He had a nasty look on his face that softened slightly at the sight of his injured assistant.

"Are you feeling better?" He murmured, giving her a quick once over. Maybe she was just tired, but the weight of his gaze didn't give her any butterflies. Mai nodded, and he almost smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

Naru turned to Lin and began speaking with him in a hushed, angry voice. Now forgotten, Mai stood there awkwardly.

A few seconds into the conversation, Lin looked up at Mai with narrowed eyes.

She looked down, chewing at the inside of her cheek. Does he think I'm eavesdropping...?

Gravel crunching under her shoes, Mai limped into the shelter.

* * *

Hana (the owner of the shelter) had been waiting inside.

"Though I do feel awful, I am glad it was you who stepped on it and not one of the mothers." Hana had pressed a hand to her chest. "Or, heaven forbid, one of the children."

So now the injured girl was sitting in Base, a cup of steaming green tea clutched in her hands.

They had set up base in an old bedroom. The room still had some cribs in it, cribs and well-loved blankets and worn teddy bears.

Seeing all this baby stuff made Mai want to cry again. Her toes curled as she leaned forward in Lin's desk chair, tea splashing out and burning her fingers. She didn't a thing.

"I can't do this."

There was the sound of the door sliding open and Mai looked up sharply, half-hoping it was the man who knew her secret.

But it wasn't Lin.

It was Simon, and he had a camera crew behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Lin was once again Mai's savior. The man actaully _slid_ into the room with the help of his socks.

"Taniyama-san has just returned from the hospital," Lin frowned, moving to block her from the cameras. "She needs rest, not interviews."

Simon sighed and signaled for the camera woman to stop filming.

"I only thought we could have a few words for the show," he grumbled, snatching a water bottle from a crew member. Taking a swig of water, Simon winked at Mai and mouthed, 'let's talk later,' before walking out.

Setting her tea down on the desk, Mai smiled weakly up at Lin. "Thank you."

She began to wipe her sticky hands off on her pants.

"There's no need to thank me." Lin handed her a tissue and looked at the door. "Is he...?"

"Yes."

He nodded once. "I thought so."

The man picked his laptop up from the desk, shaking his head when Mai moved to stand up from his chair. "It's fine."

He sank down onto the ground and gazed down at his keyboard.

Naru walked in a few minutes later, his eyebrows shooting up at the sight of Lin sitting on the floor. That man was being awfully gentle with Mai as of late. _Hmm._

Tucking that away in the back of his mind for later scrutiny, the teen crossed his arms. "We'll be speaking with everyone in the playroom."

* * *

"Strange things have been happening for a while," Hana sighed, nervously adjusting her glasses. "But after recent...events, most of the woman that were staying here have left with their children."

One of the remaining mother's sniffled into her into her toddler's head. "It's only lately that things have gotten _really_ bad."

Naru leaned forward. "How so?"

Another woman put a hand to her swollen stomach. "A...a woman killed herself by jumping from the second floor window," she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "She was pregnant at the time...the baby didn't survive."

"Was she mentally ill?" Simon asked, tilting his head. His camera woman inched closer.

Mai scowled and looked away, digging her fingernails into her legs. Why did her ex-boyfriend have to be the host of a show about _ghost_ hunting? _Hindsight sure is a bitch._

Naru was also on edge. "You said you'd stay quiet," he hissed. Simon held his hands up in surrender.

Hana also seemed upset. "No, Sara was the happiest woman I've ever met! She was so excited to be a mother..."

"Did anything else happen?" Naru wondered, his voice almost drowned out by Lin's typing.

The three woman exchanged a look. "Well, Emily..."

Emily (the girl with scars of her wrists) looked down and planted a kiss on her toddler's cheek. "I would _never_ hurt my son, but one night everything went fuzzy and when my vision cleared, I-" she choked. "-I had my hands wrapped around my little boy's neck."

* * *

"Mai."

The girl groaned, rolling over in her futon, pressing a hand to her stomach.

"Mai-chan..."

"Hm?" Mai peeked open an eye, her chest tightening at the sight of Simon crouched beside her. "Why are _you_ here?"

He was grinning sweetly. "I thought it would be a good time to talk, now that your co-workers aren't breathing down my neck."

The last thing Mai wanted was to spend extra time with her ex, but...she had to tell him. He had to know.

"Okay, but only for a couple of minutes," She grumbled.

He helped her up from the ground, and they padded quietly down the stairs and to the front door. They slipped on their shoes on the way out.

"Wow, the stars are..." Mai's jaw dropped down further. _"Wow."_

Simon led her around the building, and they sat down amongst the wildflowers to look out at the glassy pond. The water was reflecting the sky. "I know. They're so much better here than in the city."

His hand slipped over her own. Gosh, he must have thought he was so sly. Well, it was now or never.

"Hey, Simon-san?" Her voice shook slightly.

"What, Mai?"

"I'm...pregnant."

He had been gently stroking her fingers with his thumb, but he froze at her words. Mai flinched away, afraid that he might - well, she was afraid he might do a lot of things.

But he only laughed. It was a nice laugh that made people like him instantly. He turned to her, eyes gentle and flickering with _something_.

"Oh Mai-chan, you don't have to lie." He smiled warmly, and moved closer. "I understand."

Mai nodded slowly, opening her mouth to speak when his words sunk in. "Wait, why would I-" her eyes widened as Simon grabbed her around the shoulders, pushing her against the ground.

* * *

Lin never really slept well. He had trained himself to be a light sleeper, always on alert in case something went wrong with Naru or lately, Mai.

How could he _not_ worry for her? That poor girl seemed to be a magnet for trouble. On top of that, she was pregnant. Not exactly the best combination.

This was the reason he had sent one of his Shiki to watch after her in his place. His priority was still Naru and besides, he was hardly going to _sleep_ with her.

Something brushed against his senses, and Lin's eyes snapped open to see 'Mai's Shiki' circling frantically around his head. He sat up, swiftly throwing the covers aside and stubbornly ignoring the ache in his head.

Feeling confident that he could trust Naru to the monk, Lin hurried out of the room, following his familiar with a grim look on his face.

He didn't bother to put on his shoes, but noticed nonetheless that Mai's sneakers were gone. The grass felt soft and dreamlike beneath his bare feet.

Lin heard and saw Mai at the same time. She was tangled up with the father of her child, kicking and squealing as she fought against Simon.

Everything turned blood red as Lin raced forward, fingers curling into fists. The struggle became more frenzied, Mai's head hit hard against a rock a couple of seconds later.

She fell into darkness with a soft groan of irritation.


	4. Chapter 4

"You really should be more careful, Mai. Especially now."

Mai allowed Dream Naru to help her up. She nodded sleepily at his words. "Yeah, I know."

The agonizing sound of a sob ticked her ears, and Mai finally _saw._

There were hundreds of woman, wearing dirty clothes or nothing at all, weeping in each other's arms.

There was a terrible smell in the air; urine and feces, sweat and hopelessness.

Mai began to cry as she looked around at all this desperation. She felt sick, especially when she saw how many of them were pregnant.

"I want Lin-san," she whimpered, not entirely sure why she needed him so desperately.

Dream Naru reached forward and closed her eyelids, whispering how sorry he was for what she had seen...

* * *

A tear slithered down Mai's cheek when she opened her eyes, and she batted her eyelashes to keep the rest away.

Her hands travelled to her stomach, trying to find her child. The tiniest of kicks fluttered against her fingers, and she breathed out a shaky sigh.

"That man claimed possession was at fault." Now it was Lin who sighed. "He also told everyone about...you."

She looked over at Lin, who was lying on the threadbare rug beside her futon. He had a towel over his eyes, and his jaw was clenched.

"This just keeps getting better, huh?" Mai's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Thanks for helping me, by the way."

He opened his mouth to say something, then sucked in a breath.

She frowned. "Are you okay, Lin-san?"

He was squeezing his hands together, digging his nails into his skin. "Just a headache."

 _"Just_ a headache...?"

"Fine," he said sharply, startling her. "It's a migraine. I get them on occasion when I overwork myself."

Mai instantly felt bad. She wasn't the only one having a hard time. For a moment she saw all those poor woman again, and she reached out for him.

Her arms wrapped around Lin's torso, and he lifted the towel off his eyes to glare at her...until he saw the look on her face.

"Bad dream?" he asked softly, letting the towel fall back onto his face.

"Y...yes."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Mai." Naru was running a finger over his lips. "But it's good that we know. Hara-san, do you sense something similar?"

The girl and John had both arrived while Mai was sleeping. No one had mentioned the baby situation yet, which was almost too good to be true. _Maybe everyone's just focusing on their job?_

"There are many spirits suffering here," Masako murmured, covering her nose and mouth with the sleeve of her kimono. "...there is one that the other's seem to be frightened of."

Naru nodded, thanked her and then told everyone what they were to do.

Much to her surprise, Mai was to take a walk outside to see if she could feel anything. She would of course be accompanied by Lin.

 _"No-"_

"Your shiki can watch after me," Naru said, frowning at his Chinese assistant. "I won't do anything dangerous. Besides, Mai is in need of far more protection than I am." Everyone looked vaguely uncomfortable.

There it was. At least he wasn't yelling at her about condoms or something. Mai fought back a giggle at the thought of _that_ conversation.

"Fine." Lin seemed _highly_ displeased. "Come, Taniyama-san."

He left the room, and Mai moved to follow.

"Don't forget to say something if you need me to raise your pay."

Naru's words were so simple, but for some reason Mai couldn't help but grow misty-eyed. Maybe it was the hormones?

She nodded and left with a smile that would not last for long.

* * *

It was Mai who spotted the cellar. "Hey, don't those flowers look kind of weird? Why are they all clumped together like that?"

Lin took one look before walking over and kneeling on the ground. He began to yank the flowers from the dirt, seeming not to care at all.

"Did you have to kill them?" Mai murmured, gathering the wildflowers into a bouquet and sniffing deeply. She gagged. They didn't smell like flowers at all! They smelled a lot like...

Lin finally reached the doors only to find a padlock. He snorted. "Of course. Taniyama-san, please go get a me a..."

Mai was backing away, shaking her head, blood-scented flowers fluttering from her hands. "I don't want to see what's down there," she whispered, and began to cry.

She turned sharply around and walked down towards the pond, taking deep, panicked breaths. She could hear footsteps behind her as she fell to her knees by the water.

She looked at out the still surface, broken only by bubbles and...a hand reaching up out of the water...?

"Someone's drowning!" Mai cried. Lin blurred past her, tossing his shoes off as he dived under the surface.

Moments passed.

Lin was holding onto Simon's obviously rattled camera woman when they came up for air. They swam over to Mai, and the girl helped the older woman out of the water.

But when she turned back around to hand Lin his shoes, she found him gone.


	5. Chapter 5

"Get help," Mai instructed the camera woman, feeling a strange calm settle over her as she pulled off her sneakers. "Hurry."

She didn't wait around to see if the woman had done as she asked, instead (perhaps stupidly) diving straight into the cold water of the pond.

Mai knew she herself had an uncanny knack for surviving dangerous situations, but what if something happened to the baby? If tragedy struck, would it really be so tragic…?

Just stop thinking! Mai looked around her, trying to spot Lin through the murky water. It was surprisingly deep for a normal pond - she couldn't even see the bottom. There could be something down there and she wouldn't be able to see it. Ugh.

Something brushed against her cheek, and the girl turned, closing her eyes as a school of fish darted past her. Once they were gone, Mai saw what they had been fleeing from.

Foolishly, she opened her mouth to call Lin's name, letting a few precious gasps of air out. She was already feeling lightheaded, so she didn't even want to think about what the older man felt like.

He was thrashing, his shiki swirling around him in confusion. Swimming further down, Mai dodged Lin's long legs and choked slightly when she saw a deathly pale hand wrapped around his foot. She moved to pry the fingers from his ankle, and was horrified to find that the hand was very cold and very much there.

Now that they had a clear target, the shiki flew past Mai, blinding her with glowing white light as they struck at the corpse.

In one last desperate attempt, another hand shot up. Long, jagged fingernails tore through Mai's shirt and the skin of her stomach.

But then Lin was there, his arms wrapping firmly around her. Their legs worked together to bring them back to air.

They broke the surface just as a crowd of people arrived, armed with towels and hysteria.

But Lin and Mai were focused solely on each other.

"Idiot," the man spat, smacking away Mai's hand when she reached for him. "What were you thinking? Did you even think?"

Mai's cheeks puffed out in anger. "In case you forgot, you were drowning! By the time I went and got help, it would have been too late! What was I supposed to do, let you die?"

Lin angrily pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes. His gaze was locked on the bloody tatters of her shirt. The scratches on her skin weren't very deep, but they were deep enough.

Lin pushed himself to his feet and stormed over to Naru, shoving aside the father of Mai's child aside with such strength the other man dropped his video camera.

"You should tend to at least one of the woman carrying your child," Lin hissed at Simon, before walking away, his body stiff. Naru put a hand on his arm, his lips moving.

Simon shrank in on himself, finally showing some shame. He wrapped a towel around the camera woman's shoulders and kissed her cheek. The silver bands on their ring fingers matched - how had Mai never noticed?

Simon's looked briefly at Mai - his mistake - before he too left, his arm wrapped around his bemused wife's shoulders.

Mai's friends lingered awkwardly for a while before deciding to give the girl some space. Everyone left - everyone except Masako.

"I'm so sorry," the medium whispered, falling to her knees and taking Mai's hand. "When I heard you were drowning, for a moment...for a moment I was glad." The girl bit her lip. "I thought it was him who had...though even then…"

Mai sighed. She hadn't even realized Masako was so angry. Of course, the old her probably would have acted the same way.

But things were different now.

"Lin-san was limping...I think whatever was down there twisted his ankle. Tell him to put some ice on it." Mai stood. "And tell Naru-kun that I smelled blood over by the cellar door...and that the body down in the lake was a man's body…"

She was rambling. Maybe some water had gotten into her head.

"Yes, I'll tell them." Masako looked away. "And...I wanted to ask: Mai-san, are you in love with-"

Thump!

When the medium turned to see what had fallen, she found Mai on the grass.

* * *

"Husband, please stop!" The woman was in tears. "If anyone finds out what you're doing, we will be killed!"

She was on her knees before her husband, begging, begging.

The man kicked her away and took a swig from his bottle of sake. "Stop being a bitch. All I wanted was a child! And you couldn't even give me that!"

The woman's shoulders shook with a sob. "You're lying," she whispered.

"What did you say?"

The woman grabbed a nearby vase and flung it at him. "I said you're lying! You're a monster!"

The man flung the bottle down at her, smashing it against her head.

"I deserve to be happy," he whispered, flinging the front door open and stepping outside. "I deserve these children!"

Mai turned to watch as his wife began to laugh, and cry, and rip out her hair. All around them, babies screamed in their cradles.

* * *

 **A/N: _I had to reupload this chapter a couple times, because for some reason it wasn't showing up in the Ghost Hunt category as being recently updated? This is the last time I'm trying to fix it, so hopefully it will work now._**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: _None-graphic mentions of abortion in this chapter._**

* * *

Dream-Naru has his hands pressed to Mai's stomach and wore a gentle but terribly sad smile on his face.

"I'll take care of him," the boy whispered, and Mai blinked slowly in confusion.

"Take care of who...?"

Dream-Naru stood, pressed a kiss to her forehead and sent her off to wakefulness with a soft touch.

* * *

"No one would blame you, you know. Not even John; I already spoke to him about it." Ayako was sitting by Mai's bedside when the younger girl woke. The redhead was painting her nails.

Mai let out a soft groan. "Blame me for what...?"

What the hell had Naru been talking about just now? She didn't know, but her chest ached nonetheless.

"Blame you for getting an abortion," Ayako explained, blowing on her nails. "When I got mine, all my friends scorned me. I guess they didn't care about me after all."

Mai's eyes were wide as she sat up. "You had an abortion? I didn't know that."

"Well, it's not exactly something you bring up in idle small talk!" Ayako's smile was sad. "I was younger than you when I got pregnant, actually - barely eighteen. The boy...he was so handsome, and so damn charismatic. And too frightened to marry me when there were two lines instead of one."

"My mom and I talked about it, and..." the woman sighed, leaning back a little. "Both my parents came with me to the abortion clinic...shielded me from the protesters who spit in my face. It took years and years for me to forgive myself, but I don't regret it. Not for a moment."

Mai's shoulders sagged. "I've thought about it, Ayako-chan, but..."

The older woman leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her friend's neck. "I understand," she whispered warmly. "You don't have to explain yourself to me."

They stayed like that for a while, until the door slammed open and Lin walked through, a hard look on his face.

"Taniyama-san, you're leaving," he said stiffly, his lip curling when both woman asked why. "Another woman has killed herself."

* * *

"I'm not going anywhere," Mai ground out, her hands pressing hard to her stomach as the sirens of the ambulance faded. The gravel was painful on her bare feet.

Behind her, the other tenents of the shelter were being loaded into a rental car by Monk and John, who would speak to the priest of a nearby church about their care.

Simon was kissing his wife goodbye, for once not filming.

And Hana watched it all from a window, her face hard.

Naru had his arms crossed.

"You will do as I say," he said, his voice too calm to be real. "A woman drowned herself in the pond - a pregnant woman. In case you have managed to forget, you are also pregnant."

Mai's heart dropped to her toes. "I have to stay - I've had dreams, Naru-kun! I can't leave now!"

"It's not my fault that you couldn't keep your legs shut!" Naru snapped, and then flinched. "Mai, I apologize, that was-"

Hurt had sliced through Mai's throat, and she found herself unable to speak. Like a confused and frightened animal, the girl turned and ran as fast as she could, away from the cries of her friends behind her.

* * *

She found herself sitting on a bench in front of an old general store, feeling stupid, because Naru had been right.

Most everyone ignored her, except for a kind woman who had a three year old racing around her ankles. "Are you lost, dear?"

She sounded concerned.

Mai shook her head slowly. "I'm fine, thank you. I'm staying at the woman's shelter over there." She pointed halfheartedly in its direction.

The kindly woman blanched. "That place? Oh my..."

Mai looked up. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, many years ago a man lived there with his wife. It was their house, you see. Everyone thought them saints because they let woman seeking asylum stay there. But..."

"But?"

"A woman came to town one day, barefoot like you, completely broken in mind, according to my mother, and raving about her child being stolen from her." The kindly woman picked up her fussy toddler. "When the police went to investigate, they found out that the man had been impregnating the woman under his care, and then taking the babies when they were born. Can you imagine? It's like a something from a horror movie!"

Mai closed her eyes, and saw her dream again, heard the pleas for help, smelled the scents...but wait, what had happened to his -

Suddenly, hurried footsteps, and then - "Mai!"

Her eyes shot opened when two hands fell on her shoulders. It was Lin.

"We thought you had been possessed!" he said sharply, his fingers tightening around her collar bones. The kindly woman had taken a few wary steps away, but seemed relived.

Mai opened her mouth to apologize, but only succeeded in tasting fabric when he grabbed her in the most desperate hug she had ever received.

And then he kissed her, and she tasted his lips instead.


	7. Chapter 7

Lin sank down into her, his tongue swiping over her teeth.

"Do you love me?" Mai asked breathlessly, after a moment.

He was offended; Lin would _never_ kiss someone without feeling anything. But then he remembered her affair, and it made sense.

"Of course. And you?" _Perhaps I have been a fool...?_

"Of course," she repeated, grabbing his tie and pulling him, his lips, to her.

"Mama! Bad man!"

The couple looked up at the toddler hanging on a woman's legs, the same woman who had been talking with Mai. They followed his finger and saw Simon standing with a camera.

"I'm going to punch him," Mai decided, standing up sharply. "I'm pregnant, so he can't hit me back, right?"

Lin was thinking of beating her to it when the nearby woman stormed up to Simon and hit him so hard she busted his lip.

"We don't approve of creeps like you in _my_ town!" she exclaimed, while her child cheered her on. She then turned and did a little wave at Mai. "Nice to meet you, dear! I'm glad your partner found you. Good luck with your pregnancy!"

And she left into the sunset like a super hero...or maybe a cowboy.

"Bye," Mai said faintly.

Simon was rubbing his mouth. "I'm glad you're safe, Mai-chan," he said, and for once she believed him. "Let's talk later, okay?"

He ambled back in the direction of the shelter, a sad twinkle in his eyes.

Lin hoisted her up onto his back suddenly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck quietly thankful because of the whole barefoot thing - she really should work on thinking things through.

"I decided to leave yelling at Naru to you." Lin was so strong, even his legs were steady. "I know you like yelling at him."

Mai kissed the back of his neck. "You know me so well!"

* * *

And Mai _really_ yelled at Naru. He was looking almost cowed by the time she was done, practically panting.

"I just didn't want to see anything happen to you, Mai-san," Naru sighed, his shoulders sagging.

The girl softened. "I know! But I'm an adult, even if I don't deserve to be. I care about my baby but I care about these spirts too! If they do turn out to be all those woman that man hurt, then they deserve to be helped."

Naru rubbed at his head. "...I understand. Just don't haunt me if something happens to you, alright? That's the last thing I need."

"Like I'd want to!" Mai puffed out her cheeks in irritation. "I'd much rather haunt my Lin!"

Naru raised an eyebrow. " _My_ Lin...? What - Actually, I don't want to know. Please don't explain."

He pushed away from the bedroom wall and was almost out the door when he seemed to remember something. "Oh, and make sure not to be alone with Hana-san."

"What?" But then he was gone, and Lin was walking through the door, kicking it close behind him...and all was forgotten.

* * *

Mai slid out of bed, resting a hand on a sleeping (he had come down with a migraine, but she had been content to just lay with him a while) Lin's arm for a moment before slipping on her robe and shuffling out of the room.

She put a hand to her stomach as she entered the kitchen - her bump was getting pretty big now. It had been...about seven months since she had Simon had made their _mistake. Seven months...how did I manage to remain so oblivious?_

Opening the fridge, Mai was startled by a voice.

"Hello, my dear." It was Hana, sitting in the darkness at the table with tea. "I thought you might have trouble sleeping, so I made you a cup as well."

Two Naru's spoke as one inside her head. _Make sure not to be alone with Hana..._ "Um, I should be getting back to bed..."

The old woman smiled. "I'm sure that young man can wait a little longer for you." She pushed a cup of tea into Mai's hands when the girl tried to sidestep away. "You know, my husband and I used to be passionate like that."

Mai took a sip of tea to try and hide her expression while she figured out what to do. "Your husband?"

"He was a monster. He took woman like yourself into our home, raped them, took their children... _stole_ their children...all because _I_ couldn't give him any."

Mai was beginning to feel dizzy, and she braced herself against the table. "Is he...the one in the lake?"

Hana laughed too loud, putting a finger on her eye to wipe away a tear. "Oh yes. The bastard was so afraid of water, almost as much as I was afraid of him. But he's still here, you know. I can still hear him, tormenting us all." She smiled. "I'm saving you, you know, by putting the poison in your tea. He can't hurt you if you're dead."

Mai stumbled over to the kitchen counter, retching, the teacup smashing to the ground. Faintly, she could hear crying, so many people crying. Her eye was drawn to a lighter sitting innocently on the counter. _Sometimes you have to be destroyed before you can be reborn._ Hundreds of eyes were on her now.

"Be at peace," she whispered, grabbing the lighter and touching the flame to the curtains. Hana didn't react; she simply closed her eyes.

Mai sank down, and in the moment before the poison took her, she saw a man who was almost Naru standing above her, cradling a baby boy in the crook of his arm.

"Twins..." she breathed, her eyelids sliding closed.


End file.
